Get the Truth Behind Cosmetic Surgery from a New Tell-All Book by Plastic Surgeon Christopher J. Saunders M.D. FASHIONTRIBES BEAUTY BLOG

From the "lunch hour" face lift to Botox parties, from med spas to “mommy makeovers,” it's apparent that the culture of beauty is approaching a state of frenzy. Add in "reality" shows like Dr. 90210, Extreme Makeover and arguably the most egregious example, MTV’s I Want a Famous Face (where people undergo multiple procedures to look like their fave celeb idols) and you could be forgiven for thinking the culture has breached the beach head of vanity into full-on insanity.

No longer is plastic surgery seen as a multi-staged procedure performed by properly trained surgeons; now it is accepted with a blase, drive-thru attitude. More often than you might think, the Hippocratic oath is giving way to one driven by economics where enterprising doctors strive for their share of plastic surgery profits - regardless of formal training or experience. “It’s hard to believe, but courses like Liposunction 101 do exist,” explains award-winning & (properly) board certified Dr. Christopher Saunders, author of the recently published A Woman’s Guide to the Real-Reality of Cosmetic Surgery which sheds light on the fallacies and unrealistic expectations of cosmetic surgery fueled by the media. “After a weekend course, doctors claim being trained, a specialist or certified; the reality can be scary. Before you decide to go under knife, you need to know whose hands you’re putting your life in.”

So how is the potential patient in search of self improvement to separate the quality from the quacks?

“For a very long time, cosmetic surgery was viewed as taboo by our culture. Now, men and women are getting liposunctions, laser surgeries and body lifts on national television,” says Saunders. "The two most prevalent misconceptions are unrealistic expectations that a procedure can achieve and unrealistic expectations about post-surgery recovery. We live in a culture of “the now” and all too often, people are looking for the magic pill, especially when it comes to their physical appearance. My new book outlines the “Real-Reality” of cosmetic surgery; and empowers those who are considering cosmetic surgery with the proper knowledge and education to understand almost everything related to cosmetic surgery.”